Silverback Armament Model 39 Combat Shotgun
The M1939 '''or '''M39 '''shotgun was developed by '''Silverback Armament '''in late 1938 to early 1939 as an improved close range weapon for the US military. '''History The main purpose of the weapon was to replace the current Winchester Model 1912 '''shotgun in the army because of its better ergonomics and combat effectiveness. However, this suffered massive competition and was later defeated as the improvements were deemed not significant enough to replace a standard issue shotgun implemented since World War 1. Not only that, '''Silverback Armament '''was a newly formed company and yet they decided to tackle one of the most impactful arms manufacturer in the history of America: '''Winchester Repeating Arms Company. This was obviously a wrong move thus lead to the company filed for bankruptcy in a short time span due to their failed marketing campaign. Despite their failures, arms collector and gun enthusiasts still consider this superior compare to the Winchester Model 1912. Variants Although the gun was built in a small amount due to budget, the Model 39 '''still managed to have 2 versions: '''Field '''and '''Trench, with the latter equipped with a 5 round magazine tube, a shortened barrel and stock. Both versions barely made it through testing phase and was never issued to the military as it was designed for. Less than 300 units were built and with only 70 of them are the Trench version, the Model 39 'is an extremely expensive and rare item with the recorded prize of $1250 in a 1965 gun auction. Also, a unofficial "version" of the gun was discovered in 1969 called "'Hunter" as the weapon was seen equipped by a local hunter. This version of the Model 39 '''comes with a long barrel and a cylindrical pump. Neither of them existed in the production line, so they were assumed to be aftermarket parts. No further details were ever released about this version. '''Legacy and revival Despite the company's bankruptcy, the Model 39 '''was and is still beloved among gun smiths and weapon auctioneer due to its reliability and rarity. Not only that, the gun was again seen in 2011, in the hands of a competitive shooting champion. He later revealed that the model he was holding an early manufactured version of the gun, this was later confirmed due because of the markings and serial number. The revelation shocked many as how did an old shotgun manage to be in good shape after 73 years, let alone winning a shooter his championship. The gun was later examined by a local gunsmith and the conclusion to this was probably because of '''Silverback Armament's '''incredible but under-appreciated craftsmanship. This sparked an opportunity for manufacturers to participate in an attempt to bring back the gun's short-lived glory. As many tried to recreate and modernize the gun, only 2 companies have actually succeeded: '''Magpul Industries '''and '''Saber Arms, a newly found aftermarket gun designer. The version of Saber Arms was called Enforcer as it''' was implemented to police and law enforcers as their new combat and less-lethal shotgun. This comes with an ergonomic pistol grip, a fixed stock, a flashlight pump grip and a muzzle break. As for '''Magpul, their version is called '''Contractor '''due to its popularity among military contractors and mercenaries. This was mainly because of the gun's lightweight yet durable frame, along with excellent ergonomics of '''Magpul '''products integrated to it. Also, this version comes an adjustable choke, a rarely seen feature even among modern shotgun. Category:Shotguns